In Councilwoman Gumbs' Defense

By Wendell Gumbs

I am proud of a country that gives you the right to speak out on issues that affect you. I will, however, call you on the facts regarding the comments you made about Councilwoman Gumbs’ family. From your tone, you must be a transplanted citizen or just very bitter. Here are some actual facts: Wilhelmina Gumbs has been married to George Gumbs for 50 years next week. George Gumbs was the Director of Labor for the state and employed some 39 years there (with a master’s degree). He is a member of the Matawan Aberdeen Hall of Fame. She only has 2 children – Wanda, who has been married for 20 years and also works for the dept of labor, and me, her son, Wendell Gumbs. I was a member of the council from 96-99 before moving to south jersey with my wife and 3 girls. Not to mention my late uncle Phillip Gumbs, a former Freeholder Director of Monmouth County and supervising judge. His daughter, Robina Shaw Esq., was just inducted into the same Hall of fame last week-end. The only reason I am taking time out to write this response, is because I don't know who you are to confront you face to face. If you have issues you disagree with, that's fair game. My issue is your blatant disrespect and the straight out lies you are now posting about my family. I would ask that you at least get your facts straight before posting things that are just not the case. If you would like to discuss this matter in person, please let me know.

Wendell Gumbs served on the Aberdeen Town Council from 1996-99 >>> Read more!

Councilwoman Gumbs' Special Land Deal

Click here for all relevant deed documents

I am repeatedly impressed by the caliber of my readership for independent thought. Back in January, I described land deals involving Councilman Vinci and (“the future”) Councilwoman Gumbs (see “Something is Rotten in Aberdeen”). As was common in my early writings, I neglected to provide supporting documentation. Some readers have recently posted comments regarding Councilwoman Gumbs but always couched in terms indicating the special land deals were only allegations. No matter how much I write, no matter how much my readers trust me, they want to see the evidence – “Trust but verify”. No ditto heads here. So, I’ve decided to revisit the subject of Councilwoman Gumbs’ land deals and provide some new details.

Wilhelmina Gumbs is related, through marriage, to Judge Philip Gumbs, the first African-American mayor of Aberdeen Township (then Matawan Township). Through the family connection, and by virtue of her community activism, she was appointed to the town planning board in 2002 and then elected to the town council in 2003. However, in 2001, just before officially stepping into politics, she was involved in a peculiar land transaction with the township, a deal orchestrated by then Township Attorney Norman Kauff.

CME Associates, the township engineer, was managing the road improvement program and had advised the township to slightly widen a section of County Road in Cliffwood where Councilwoman Gumbs resides and has a family interest in a nearby house.

Below is a list of properties that were compensated for land taken to widen the road. (The parcels that don’t list length and depth are irregularly shaped.)

Block/Lot	Length	Depth	Sq. Feet	Cost	Cost/Sq. Ft.
161/6	40	1.25	50	$210.00	$4.20
161/7	100	1.25	125	$500.00	$4.00
173/1	197.92	1	197.92	$700.00	$3.54
173/3	60	1	60	$300.00	$5.00
173/4	60	1	60	$700.00	$11.67
173/5	60	1	60	$300.00	$5.00
173/6	75	1	75	$300.00	$4.00
173/7			296.33	$1,150.00	$3.88
173/8	123.13	5.75	708	$3,500.00	$4.94
173/10,11	61.38	5.75	352.94	$2,150.00	$6.09
173/13			35	$250.00	$7.14
174/13			39.82	$160.00	$4.02
174/15	60	1.5	90	$1,500.00	$16.67
174/16	40	1.5	60	$250.00	$4.17
174/17	40	1.5	60	$250.00	$4.17
174/18	100	1.5	150	$765.00	$5.10
174/19	100	1.5	150	$700.00	$4.67
174/20			261.65	$1,110.00	$4.24

Councilwoman Gumbs lives on Block 173 Lot 8. She received $3,500, over 50% more than the next highest recipient, her neighbor two doors down. However, the most outrageous was her family member, Earle Gumbs, who got $1,500 (Block 174, Lot 15) for a strip of land 60 feet wide and 18 inches deep, a strip so narrow he’d have to lie on his side just to squeeze into it. Interestingly, Councilwoman Gumbs and Judge Gumbs both appear on the deed as “prior” owners.

Many of my readers will likely take objection to my insinuation that Councilwoman Gumbs was overly compensated. After all, while she didn’t lose the most land (that person only received $700), the dollar per square foot value, while on the high end, is not outrageously high.

However, I will ask you to look a bit closer. The strip of land was 123.13 feet long by 5.75 feet deep. Have a look at the survey description on the deed; it’s a simple rectangle 123.13 feet long by 5.75 deep. Where’s the problem? Her property is only 107 feet long.

Before assuming that our township engineer, CME Associates, exaggerated the size of the parcel, take another look at the table above. In Block 173, the township compensated the property owners of lots 3-11 except for lots 9.01 and 9.02, the properties adjacent to Gumbs. In other words, it looks like Gumbs got paid for land that was owned by her neighbor.

Still, doesn’t that mean CME Associates fabricated a land survey? Sure does. Isn’t that a crime? Sure is. Is that why they’re qualified to be our township engineer? I believe so.

Too bad Judge Gumbs retired eight months after the land deals. Too bad the statute of limitations for fraud is six years and for most crime is seven years or less. Too bad these are the people we have elected to act on our behalf. >>> Read more!

Something is Rotten in Aberdeen

Some comments to my blog have suggested that Aberdeen’s town council members will somehow insulate themselves against any adverse affects from the upcoming property revaluations. Although these allegations were almost certainly false, I decided to take a few minutes to give their properties a cursory review. Sure enough, all of the council members are paying an appropriate level of property taxes. Unfortunately, the tax records also suggest that two council members may have personally benefited at the public’s expense.

In 2001, as part of its road improvement program, Aberdeen Township initiated a road expansion project on Country Road in the Cliffwood section. The program was overseen by CME Associates, the township engineer and the Aberdeen Democratic Party’s single largest benefactor.

15 homes on Country Road sold a portion of their properties to the township for the road widening. The average homeowner received about $1,275 in compensation. Wilhelmina Gumbs received $3,500, over 50% more than anybody else and slightly over 2% the total value of her residence. A few doors down from her, Earle Gumbs received $1,500 from the township (about 1.5% the value of his home) for selling a strip of land half a yard deep and 20 yards long. Ms Gumbs appears on Earle Gumbs’ deed as does Philip Gumbs, the former mayor of Aberdeen.

The following year, Ms. Gumbs was appointed to the town planning board and then elected to the town council on the Democratic ticket.

In 2003, the New Jersey Highway Authority gave Councilman Vincent Vinci a small strip of land for $1. The transaction itself was not unusual - Councilman Vinci owns a corner property and the small strip, useless to the highway authority, simply allowed the councilman to extend his property to the street on both sides.

I’m not proficient in reading land surveys using the metes and bounds system but it appears the strip of land is around 2,000 square feet. Naturally, such an addition should augment the assessment on Councilman Vinci’s property. It didn’t. Councilman Vinci’s property assessment never increased after the land transfer.

What are the chances that Councilwoman Gumbs, prior to being elected but related to a former mayor, should be the single largest benefactor in a municipal project being managed by the local Democrats’ largest political contributor? What are the chances that her relative should receive excessive compensation in the same project?

Why didn’t the township raise Councilman Vinci’s property assessment after he acquired land from the highway authority? After all, Councilwoman Gumb’s property assessment was appropriately reduced after she sold a much smaller parcel of land to the township.

I don’t know the answers to these questions and I’m not accusing anyone of any illegalities. I’m just saying I don't like the smell. >>> Read more!